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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. shower — rain
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. kid — to tease
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. kid — child
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. toast — bread
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stand — to bear
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. scale — in music
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com